Episode Details

EPISODE SUMMARY

Why do some things feel so easy to talk yourself into?

Maybe you don't even like shopping, and yet there are a couple of categories where a different gear kicks in. This episode started with a listener voicemail about exactly that. So on this week's episode of the Money Healing Club podcast, Rachel digs into why certain things feel so much harder to resist, and what that spending is really trying to say.

Rachel gets into the values and memories living underneath the things you love, then brings back her friend Leah Kern, a registered dietitian and intuitive eating coach, to talk scarcity, rebellion, and the quiet grief she calls the sadness of saying enough. No five-step plan here, just a kinder way to meet yourself.

💬 "Getting better with money is actually a process of understanding yourself, not stopping yourself." (Rachel Duncan)

What you'll take away:

• You don't impulse spend on everything. Naming your specific kryptonite categories, and noticing where you stay grounded, is the real starting point.
• The pull toward a certain purchase is often carrying a memory, an age, or a piece of unfinished business that no amount of spending can actually resolve.
• Leah's sadness of saying enough: when something pleasurable ends, a little grief can surface, and reaching for more is a normal way to soften it.
• Abundance can be steadying. Having enough on hand can signal safety to your nervous system, while restriction often backfires.
• It's both/and. You're allowed to want things and plan for them, and you can still practice a kind pause that uses your whole brain.
• Some of this isn't only emotional. Experiences and food have gotten more expensive since the pandemic, and scarcity tactics like "limited time" and "only one left" are built to rush your decision.

⏰ EPISODE BREAKDOWN

02:00 | It's Not Every Category — Reframing the question from "why do I overspend?" to "why do certain things feel so much harder to resist?"

03:00 | Experiences Over Stuff — Getting curious about the values underneath the things you love, like novelty, connection, and making memories.

08:00 | Leah Kern on Food, Scarcity, and the Sadness of Saying Enough — Why a pleasurable experience ending can feel a little like grief, and why that response is not dramatic.

16:00 | Why Abundance Can Feel Safe — How having enough on hand can settle the nervous system instead of fueling the urge to stock up.

🌟 About Leah Kern

Leah is a registered dietitian and intuitive eating coach who helps people build a peaceful, trusting relationship with food and their bodies. She hosts the podcast Shoulders Down and has teamed up with Rachel before on the surprising overlap between budget culture and diet culture.

💌 Connect with Leah Kern

• 🎙️ Podcast: Shoulders Down
• 🌐 Website: leahkernrd.com

📚 Resources Mentioned

• 10 Steps to Food Freedom, Leah's audio course (20% off for listeners with the code MONEYHEALERS20)